ARE YOU PRAYING FOR YOUR CHURCH LEADERSHIP?

PRAYING FOR OUR CHURCH LEADERSHIP? 

Could there be a serious need for congregational and personal prayer for RENEWED leadership that is enabled to set a renewed spiritual pace and to regain our New Testament vision for missionary outreach? 

Allow me to think back a hundred years into the history of the early Evangelical "Fundamentalists" churches. We tend to forget that these churches grew and multiplied around a "missionary based strategy." This missionary strategy, they believed, was founded in (among other texts) those specific Biblical Principles that are found in Philippians 4:14 "Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. 15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account." 

The key words and central strategic missionary concepts of Philippians 4 follow: 

(1.) One does well to share; 

(2.) Financial dependency or "neediness" of a missionary is a God ordained 'affliction.' This God ordained affliction is meant to be 'healed' (or resolved) by local churches ... through their collective and repetitive financial giving; 

(3.) the focus of giving is not on the gift as much as the opportunity to invest and experience increase to the local church's account. 

In summary, it was believed that churches that supported missionaries would be blessed for first giving themselves to the care of these evangelists or missionary couples. They believed Philippians 4 and 2 Corinthians 8 that their sacrificial giving and their faithful gifts could be used of the Lord like the 'loaves and the fishes' to spread the Gospel.

Seems there is a real need for prayer for our church leaders to 

lead and set the pace and regain the vision. 

Some eighty years ago, worldwide economic depression came , hard times for families resulted and even another World War added to the potential of missionary disruption! Against all these difficulties missionaries continued to be sent forth. After WWII thousands of missionaries - once Allied Soldiers - took up the banner of Worldwide missions in the thousands. Congregations sacrificed for World Missionary Outreach. These Evangelical-Fundamental congregations were convinced that their selflessness along with their personal and collective financial sacrifices were directly linked to their collective spiritual growth and their numerical congregational growth. 

Seems there is a need for prayer for our church leaders to 

lead and set the pace and regain the vision. 

Today, regrettably, financial depression and recession have become the influence to lead many congregations to be fearful. Pastors have often failed to challenge the faithful to greater sacrifice. Pastors have often chosen to sympathise with their brethren by finding logical rationale for cutting back in our giving and many pastors feel they must empathize with those struggling. One wants to understand the situation but more importantly we must stay true to the Word of God not our emotional reactions. The cost is a shrinking church... you would, of course, be understood if you mistook my reference to "shrinking" as a reference to finances and attendance. But forgive me, if I seem arrogant or unfeeling, when I suggest that what is in fact "shrinking" is the spiritual accounts of pastors, local church congregations or in other words their membership.  

It is interesting, that many churches I visit are convinced that they must "cut back" or place their missionary budget in a "holding pattern" (i.e. - or not increasing funding and not adding missionaries). In every one of these churches - where missionary support income is decreasing or where the church budget is losing funds - another parallell reaction is taking place among many church members. 

Church members, (individuals and families), are reacting by independently re-allocating their giving and determinedly supporting missionaries privately. 

Some missionaries simply focus on individuals now that they recognize the church's budget committee and missionary committee are agreed that the only answer is to "cut back" the giving. The collective body of believers - the congregation - looses the blessing promised in Philippians 4:17. Those family units that are replacing the "lost vision" with their own "passion" for supporting those taking the Gospel to the lost world may well experience blessings but it comes at the cost of the congregation. It is clear in the New Testament that the core concept of Christianity is not individuality but congregational unity and cooperation. 

Seems there is a need for prayer for our church leaders to

 lead and set the pace and regain the vision. 

drMSBsr